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The Ghost Of Good taste
None of those items on that list had anything (other than tangentially) to do with his music.

Elvis was great. If you are unable to see that, or are more comfortable laughing at the more comical aspects of the man's persona - like most knuckleheads who think they're too "smart" for Elvis - then, I pity you.

..and so it was proven....

The Dorsey Bros Shows ...That's all ya need most
of 'em can still be found ........ Money Honey will nail ya ......Pure ELVIS



ROCKMAN

I'm not sure if i agree entirly with the list but I do know that i just can't stand Elvis.

Only one person can be first, and it was Elvis who was the first Rock and Roller to become mega-famous. More than anyone else he created the massive audience of Rock fans that fed all future acts as well as create interest in his peers. Whether this was fair or deserved is a separate argument. My favorite R&R music may come from the sixties, but without Elvis none of it may happened without Elvis's impact on the music world in the fifties.

Didn't write songs.
Didn't have a band.
Sold out. (you would think Rod Stewart would have learned.)

Justin, my friend, where do I begin? I think you're Justin who's a fine guitar picker and, as far as I know, a great human being.

However, I find the initial post here the most off-base post I've ever seen. Without Elvis, none of this would be happening. Yeah, several are probably more influencial musically (Berry, Everlys, etc.), but he was first. As much as I love the Stones, they wouldn't be here without the Beatles either.

Elmo Chapter One Verse One (with apologies to Johnny Winter): The blues had a baby (hillbilly country was the midwife) and they named it rock and roll (AKA Elvis A. Presley).

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Gazza
Elvis DID actually record at Stax. He used some top musicians there and at the American Studios in 1969

Are you sure about Stax, Gazza? The American stuff I know of, and it's undeniably fantastic, but I am unaware of him ever working at Stax.

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Carnaby
Didn't write songs.
Didn't have a band.
Sold out. (you would think Rod Stewart would have learned.)

OK - didn't write songs? So what? Billie Holiday never wrote songs, George Jones' best work was written by other people, Willie Dixon (and others) wrote a fair amount of Muddy and Wolf's stuff, most of the early Motown stuff was written by Smokey and other staff writers, The Coasters wrote none of their own stuff, I could go on. So, you're going to write off all of those people too? Elvis had a couple of great bands - the original Sun-era trio (later expanded to a quartet when they added Bill Black(?) on drums), & the James Burton, Ronnie Tutt band (I suppose you've never seen That's The Way It Is) - c'mon, those bands were dynamite. He sold out? He was the first artist to ever achieve anything like that level of fame. He was a country boy who thought the best he could be is a cop or a truck driver, and suddenly he's getting stupid amounts of money and skirt thrown at him. He was hamstrung by contracts that basically allowed him to only sing songs that were published by Hill & Range (which, I believe the Colonel had a stake in), so his ability to choose material he wanted to sing was limited. Look at the times when Elvis was allowed to pick his material without any sort of "business"-related constraints - the Sun stuff. That's where Elvis' roots were, that's the music he loved.

Now, I love real gospel music, and don't care at all for Elvis' overwrought takes on gospel music, but your dismissal of the man's work is juvenile. Listen to Elvis, don't just listen to people talk about Elvis, don't just look at Elvis impersonators, don't just look at his vulgar home, his tacky wardrobe, the consistent commerce-driven grave robbing that has gone on for over 30 years. Listen to Elvis.

I also don't believe Elvis was/is the king of Rock n Roll, but I do understand that Rock n Roll's very survival in it's infancy was directly tied to Elvis. If you can't see that, you need to look a little harder.

...and to dismiss Elvis' success as a sort of reverse affirmative action, is simple-minded. The man could sing, the man had great taste in music - and a willingness to sing material he loved even though it was frowned upon as "Black" music by a lot of his friends and neighbors, and if you ever heard him play Polk Salad Annie, well...





Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2009-04-21 17:12 by The Ghost Of Good taste.

Gazza is most definitely right.

Elvis recorded songs at Stax in 1973 that eventually went on these albums:







Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2009-04-21 04:44 by Justin.

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Elmo Lewis
Justin, my friend, where do I begin? I think you're Justin who's a fine guitar picker and, as far as I know, a great human being.

However, I find the initial post here the most off-base post I've ever seen. Without Elvis, none of this would be happening. Yeah, several are probably more influencial musically (Berry, Everlys, etc.), but he was first. As much as I love the Stones, they wouldn't be here without the Beatles either.

Elmo Chapter One Verse One (with apologies to Johnny Winter): The blues had a baby (hillbilly country was the midwife) and they named it rock and roll (AKA Elvis A. Presley).

Right on!

Yup, articles like these really piss me off. I feel like writing the "Writers" to this awful piece a nasty email. I love how he says The Beatles are far more influential yet without Elvis there'd probably be no Beatles!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2009-04-21 04:46 by Justin.

Justin, my bad all the way. I misunderstood and thought that was your opinion. I feel better about ya now!

You'll Think Of Me ..... Down on one knee stuff oooozzin' Roy Hamilton influence



ROCKMAN

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Justin
Gazza is most definitely right.

Elvis recorded songs at Stax in 1973 that eventually went on these albums:

Thanks for the info, Justin - unfortunately, that looks to be post-Booker T & the MGs. Now, that would've been something - Elvis with the Stax house band. If only.

The Rockin' Machine shoulda
covered that other Big Joe tune TV Mama ....Man he woulda stooked that one ....



ROCKMAN

"Elvis recording at Stax" means- de facto- Elvis recording with the MG's, prior to Al Jackson Jr.'s death.

And to the poster who indicated (I believe in response to my view- and Little Richards and Chuck Berry's) that Elvis' huge popularity was some sort of "reverse Affirmative Action" (whatever that is; is that like "reverse racism"?)-

CLEARLY Elvis was groomed, sought out, manipulated, and courted as a sort of "great white hope" in the '50's. He NEVER sounded like what most black singers of the time sounded like, certainly not the rhythm and blues artists of the day (think of a popular one like Louis Jordan- no vocal similarity at all). Even compared to Nat King Cole, Elvis still sounded like Pat Boone in comparison.

There's a lot of nonesense mixed up in Elvis' mythology (as there is for any legend), but to say his race didn't play a big part in his success is misguided.

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Muppet HiFi
He NEVER sounded like what most black singers of the time sounded like, certainly not the rhythm and blues artists of the day (think of a popular one like Louis Jordan- no vocal similarity at all). Even compared to Nat King Cole, Elvis still sounded like Pat Boone in comparison.

Then why did Sam Phillips believe so strongly that he found a kid that could sing black? And how did many DJ's at the time actually were unaware if the voice they heard coming from the radio was black or white?

"My Happiness" is Elvis' first known recording. Just by listening to it you can see how this boy's race could be pretty mysterious to many people at the time. He wasn't coached or groomed into singing it the way that he does....this is just him singing a song that he hoped to give to his mother as a birthday gift. He had no intention of it being heard by anyone else.

To say that there is no resemblance to many black singers in this voice would simply be careless.







Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2009-04-21 06:34 by Justin.

yer lead post a fair bit of nonsense Justin...just sayin'''

Beelyboy...I didn't write it! A couple idiots from some newspaper/blog did.

if ya listen to My Happiness you'll hear that almost all his
vocal glories were already in place ..... Truely Amazing stuff ....



ROCKMAN

ok thnx Justin...it just seems like a fluff piece to me;...mebbe u too...sorry for the slight slag then.


I hear u loud and clear Rocky...



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2009-04-21 06:43 by Beelyboy.

Sam was most likely saying that with business in mind, as lots of white kids were buying black artists ('race records', to coin a slightly earlier phrase), and being a good businessman, knew that things where changing in American culture since the war, and people were clamoring for new music. Knowing that it would be hard to push a black man in the buergening youth market, he tried to promote Presely AS THOUGH he "sounded like a black man". And it worked. And millions never questioned it.

Don't get me wrong, Elvis had a fine, fine voice. But any similarities to what most black artists (who were mainstream then, besides Nat Cole and the ever-popular Louie Armstrong?) were doing in the mid-'50's, are pretty pale (no pun intended).

I'm just glad I had the opportunity to see the King back in 1970

Wish I'd seen Elvis as well; he was (and is) great.

But there's great and then there's Elvis-level-great. And I just don't think he deserves all that (oddly enough, I find a lot of the cultural kitsch fun, funny, and endearing. I dig low-brow taste as much as hig-brow).

I have to admit that some of Elvis's stuff is embarrassing and most of its from the mid-late 60's-70's. I'm thinking of his version of "Something", oh my God its bad with the choir and such. Sinatra did a much more respectable version both in 1970 and again in 1979. How about "Never Been to Spain?" *Cringes*. Elvis in the 50's through about 1964 is good, not as great as Chuck or Bo but still untouchable. However when he became a "movie star" his career as a serious musician tanked. And while the Colonel might be to blame, Elvis still allowed himself to be put in campy movies, aweful jump suits and record some bad songs.
BTW: I've seen Jagger in some jump suits in the 70s and they look bad.

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Happy Jack
I have to admit that some of Elvis's stuff is embarrassing and most of its from the mid-late 60's-70's.

1968




1969




1970

Few - if any - have bettered Elvis' pre-army releases. From That's All Right Mama to the likes of A Fool Such As I and I Got Stung - its all sublime stuff. Elvis is the single most important and relevant musical artist of the 20th centuary - more so than the Beatles and Rolling Stones.

Any doubters should just pick up Golden Records Volume 1 and 2

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Big Al
Few - if any - have bettered Elvis' pre-army releases. From That's All Right Mama to the likes of A Fool Such As I and I Got Stung - its all sublime stuff. Elvis is the single most important and relevant musical artist of the 20th centuary - more so than the Beatles and Rolling Stones.

Any doubters should just pick up Golden Records Volume 1 and 2

Well, this is the best argument against military service ever done... They made a mouse of the king there...

( I just watched a recent television movie covering the years from him going to army to his come back special - sad years to witness; he seemed to be the most conservative voice in the whole era; taking the fact that he was the original "rock and roll rebel" he was a total anti-thesis to anything remarkable that happened in the swinging sixties).

- Doxa

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Muppet HiFi
"Elvis recording at Stax" means- de facto- Elvis recording with the MG's, prior to Al Jackson Jr.'s death.

.

in your eyes, anyway..

Actually, Al Jackson and Donald Duck Dunn, Jr. were amongst the Stax musicians who played on part of the 'Raised on Rock' album which was mostly recorded at Stax in 1973. Its actually one of his weaker 70's albums, oddly enough.


Justin - "Promised Land" was mostly recorded at Stax as well. Including his great cover of the title track.

Try this. Essential Elvis taken from the sessions at Stax

Amazon

Try this:





The studio version is with a rap by Little Richard and
chorus help by Jagger. The last lines are a nice hint at
Paul Simon.

Tabloids scream
Elvis seen at a shopping mall
Thats the kind of talk
That makes my stomach crawl

Picture a zombie elvis
In a tacky white jump suit
Just imagine a rotting elvis
Shopping for fresh fruit

You cant cause

Chorus:
Elvis is dead
Elvis is dead
Elvis is dead
Elvis is dead
Elvis is dead
Elvis is dead
Elvis is dead
Elvis is dead

When the king died
He was all alone
I heard that when he died
He was sitting on his throne

Alas poor elvis
They made us know you well
Now you dwell forever
In the heartbreak hotel

Chorus

Elvis was a hero to most
But thats beside the point
A black man taught him how to sing
And then he was crowned king

The pelvis of elvis
Too dangerous for the masses

They cleaned him up and sent him to vegas
Now the masses are his slave
Slave? slave
Yes, even from the grave

Elvis is dead

[sampled voices]

Presley was a good performer
on stage he was electrifying
When he was ill his fans got sick
and they mourned when he had to die.

To all you pimps making money off his name
How do you sleep? Don't you feel ashamed?

He went through the test
He's out of this mess
Now be my guest
And let him rest.

Ive got a reason to believe
We all wont be received at graceland
Ive got a reason to believe
We all wont be received at graceland
Ive got a reason to believe
We all wont be received at graceland
Ive got a reason to believe
We all wont be received at graceland

Public Enemy seem to have a different view on him:

[at 2:36]






Elvis was a hero to most
But he never meant shit to me you see
Straight up racist that sucker was
Simple and plain
Mother @#$%& him and John Wayne